down in the back ALMOST

I'm worried about my cat----
he is 2 years old----neutered male tabby and weights 15 pounds....I had him to the vet about two weeks ago for his yearly shots.
He is still drinking water and eating but he is not moving around and spends all his time on the floor which is unusual because he likes to LOOK DOWN on everything. I plan on taking him to the vet in the morning because he seems to be straining to urinate and has not had a bowel movement in a couple of days...
just wondering if there is anything I can do before tomorrow morning to help the ??problem?? I would appreciate any suggestions from fellow cat owners, Morris is a great cat and I dont want to lose him. :) [img]null[/img] [img]www.hometelco.net/~galvemp/morris5252001.JPG[/img]

Morristhecat...First of all welcome to Pet Talk! I take it that Morris must be an orange tabby like his namesake!? I am "mommy" to Trevor who is a 19 lb. orange tabby (recently lost 1 pound and a half believe it or not). Anyway, I am glad you are taking Morris to the vet. I am worried about the "straining to urinate" part. Did you mention this when you called the vet? That sounds a little scary to me, implying urinary tract problems, and they can be serious. Don't want to scare you, and maybe someone else can shed more light. Trevor went for a few days several weeks ago where he slept way too much (even for a cat) and was picking at his food (not normal at all for him). Fortunately he was fine in a day or two. They sure can give you a scare!Please keep us posted and maybe someone else out there has more to offer. Carrie are you there? :D

[ August 26, 2001: Message edited by: Pam ]

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Originally posted by SpencerTheLion:
<STRONG>Welcome to Pet of the Day, Morris the Cat! I wish your circumstances were less sober and will be praying for a complete recovery. All I can say is make sure he has plenty of food, water, and TLC. I suspect that they are going to do blood work if what ails him is not obvious. In that case it could be a few days... We don't have any vets here, but does he go outside a lot? What ever he has could have been passed from an outside cat or another one of your cats (if you have any). You mentioned he just got his annual boosters, so hopefully that rules out FeLV and FIV. Vaccines can be anywhere from 70 to 95+% effective against exposure. I should stop now because I could only be making you more nervous. Tell us how things go...</STRONG>

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keep your fingers crossed------the vet will see us first thing in the morning...Morris
did eat some dry food and drank some water---he is an inside cat--never been outside---he works in an antique store---even runs from the front door when the bell rings....he is at home now sleeping and I have decided that I will try the hair ball medicine I got from the vet a few months back for my other cat---pepper----who hates it....thanks for your messages----I will post another after our trip to the vet tomorrow...evening..

Been to the Vet and Morris is running a fever so he got a shot and is on antibotics.
vet also changed his type of food...vet said he probably has a bladder infection and I should see improvement in 24 hours....when I brought Morris home he ate the new food and he is drinking his water.....time will tell.
thanks for your concerns and comments....

Poor baby! I hope he starts to feel better soon! I am sure he will, antibiotics work really well...

Take care! I will say a pray for Morris.

I'm glad it was a problem that seems to be easily solved. What a relief! Hope Morris continues to improve and will soon be his old self again. Sounds like he is on the way!

Good News---MORRIS is feeling MUCH better today-----even went back to work this morning---
he is still looking for that OLD food but I will stick to my guns and keep him on the new diet....thanks for your prayers and messages...I appreciate it...we cat people have to stick together....Morris's caretaker.

I've been off the boards for several days, so this won't apply the Morristhecat anymore, but anytime your cat appears to be straining in the litter box, a vet should be called right away. Although many things can cause straining, if it is a blockage it can be fatal within hours. Fortunately, Morris had no blockage so it was okay to wait to take him to the vet. But unless you know how to palpate a bladder and can rule out blockage (most lay persons can't) then always consider straining to be a veterinary emergency, especially if your cat is male and has a history of bladder infections.